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3rd Infantry Division inducts new Marne Hall of Fame

3rd Infantry Division

Oct. 31, 2022 | 1:13

The 3rd Infantry Division is proud to announce the next class of nine inductees to the Marne Hall of Fame, including 107-year-old Silver Star recipient Harold Nelson. The Marne Hall of Fame honors Dogface Soldiers who served in the Division and had a lasting impact on the 3rd Infantry Division, our Army and nation.
Marne Hall of Fame nominees are U.S. military members (Officers, Warrant Officers, Noncommissioned Officers, and Soldiers) of 3rd ID who have brought great honor to the division through deed, sacrifice, or achievement. The 2022 inductees to the Marne Hall of Fame are:
• Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe
• Capt. Michael Daly
• Staff Sgt. Harold Nelson
• Master Sgt. Juan Negron
• Capt. Arlo Olson
• Sgt. 1st Class Agustin Ramos Calero
• Pvt. Demensio Rivera
• Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith
• Maj. Gen. Keith Ware
The addition of this new class of Marne Hall of Fame inductees preserves the division's legacy by paying respect to past heroes and promoting the unit’s remarkable history. The 2022 Marne Hall of Fame and Distinguished Members of the Division class will be formally inducted at the 3rd ID Soldier’s Ball on Dec. 2.

Pvt. Demensio Rivera enlisted as an Infantryman into the U.S. Army in 1950 and served as a Dogface Soldier during the Korean War with 2nd Platoon, Company G, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.

Early in the morning of May 23, 1951, a large hostile force emerged from a dense fog and viciously attacked Rivera and his comrades.

Rivera responded by firing his weapon until it jammed. Without hesitation, he threw his rifle down and began to engage the enemy with his pistol and hand grenades.

Rivera fearlessly crawled from his emplacement to engage infiltrating enemy soldiers in fierce hand-to-hand combat, holding his position against tremendous odds.

He inflicted numerous casualties on the enemy until he found himself without ammunition of any kind except one grenade.

Rivera pulled the pin from his last grenade and waited for the enemy to reach his position. As enemy troops leaped inside his bunker, Rivera activated the grenade with the full knowledge that it meant his almost certain death.
Rivera, severely wounded but still alive, was recovered with four dead or dying enemy Soldiers around him.

Rivera was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a March 18, 2014, White House ceremony. Rivera was one of four Puerto Ricans to be honored that day and one of nine Puerto Ricans to have received the Medal of Honor.

U.S. Army Sgt. Ashley Randall received the Medal of Honor on her late grandfather's behalf, from President Obama in 2014.